Tales With Taylor

Date 10-07-2025

Episode 40:

Tanaha Hairston

Think Like An Invester

In this insightful episode of Tales with Taylor, Taylor joined by Tanaha Hairston, founder of IIC Capital, a trailblazer in impact investing across real estate and private markets. With a focus on affordable housing, community development, and sustainable ventures, Tanaha’s work proves that capital can be both profitable and purposeful.

A former Managing Director turned entrepreneur, Tanaha has built and exited multiple businesses, led deal analysis, and contributed to numerous successful real estate exits. She’s also the author of The Quiet Power of Purpose-Driven Capital: Building Provable Housing, Energy, and Equity Solutions with Cities, Investors, and Nonprofits — a must-read for anyone ready to align their financial growth with impact.

Listen to this Episode to learn from Tanaha Hairston

Through her organization RISE, Tanaha empowers women entrepreneurs to embrace values-aligned investing and wealth-building strategies, helping them use money as a tool for both freedom and change.

What You’ll Learn in Episode 40

↪ How to think like an investor and identify practical business opportunities that outperform “glamorous” ideas
↪ Why buying an existing business can be smarter than starting from scratch
↪ The importance of choosing your kind of hard when building a business
↪ How to find mentors who’ve already achieved what you aspire to
↪ The secret to building a stable business that gives you freedom and flexibility
↪ How purpose-driven capital is shaping the future of wealth creation

Our Guest: Tanaha Hairston

Tanaha Hairston is the Founder of IIC Capital, where she leads impact investing initiatives that bridge profitability and purpose. With over 25 years of experience across finance and entrepreneurship, Tanaha has become a respected voice in sustainable investing and community development.

She holds an MBA in Finance from Thunderbird School of Global Management and a B.S. in Computer Science from Arizona State University. Through her platform, RISE, she mentors women leaders to align their wealth-building strategies with their values — creating financial systems that empower, not exploit.